Pokey the Firefighting Robot

Posted on 28/07/2009 by botthoughts
Modified on: 13/09/2018
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Introduction
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Pokey is a fully autonomous, scratch built robot intended to compete in the Fort Collins Robotic Firefighting Challenge.  It seeks a lit candle in a fixed maze and puts out the candle.  Or at least that's what it was supposed to do. :) The robot uses a Pololu LV168 microcontroller board with AVR ATmega168 and built in motor drivers and other goodies. It senses flames with IR LEDs acting as photodiodes, amplified optically with a flashlight reflector and electrically with an op amp circuit. Wall ...


Pokey the Firefighting Robot

Pokey is a fully autonomous, scratch built robot intended to compete in the Fort Collins Robotic Firefighting Challenge.  It seeks a lit candle in a fixed maze and puts out the candle.  Or at least that's what it was supposed to do. :)

The robot uses a Pololu LV168 microcontroller board with AVR ATmega168 and built in motor drivers and other goodies. It senses flames with IR LEDs acting as photodiodes, amplified optically with a flashlight reflector and electrically with an op amp circuit.

Wall following and collision avoidance is achieved by dual Sharp GP2D12 IR distance sensors mounted at 90° angle on a servo actuated rotating array. The robot detects regulation white floor stripes via two Lynxmotion IR sensors.

The drive system is a dual motor gearbox from Tamiya using Mabuchi motors.

Chassis is made of plywood.

Pokey appeared in Robot Magazine in an article on the firefighting competition.  Pokey lost. :)

The robot is intended to be somewhat modular, so he's awaiting refit for his next assignment...

Seeks candle in maze and extinguishes.

  • Actuators / output devices: Tamiya dual gearbox
  • Control method: fully autonomous
  • CPU: Atmel ATmega168
  • Power source: 3 NiMH AA batteries
  • Programming language: C
  • Sensors / input devices: IR flame detectors, Sharp IR rangers, Lynxmotion IR floor sensors
  • Target environment: Trinity College Firefighting Maze
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